Lingering Sting – Chapter 1
FEBRUARY 2024 AD / EARTH / MIDTOWN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL
*Clack!*
"…Shoot." His locker unlocked easily, seems the combination had not changed in the slightest after five years… Problem was, as he opened it, none of his books or trinkets were there anymore. Instead, all he found were posters of pop idols, trappers and actors. Nothing particularly resembling study material.
"Hey?! What the hell do YOU think you are doing, fat-so?!" A girl screamed in anger as he noticed the boy by her locker. "THAT'S MY LOCKER!"
"Oh? I'm sorry, I just-" The teenager tried to defend himself, but it fell to deaf ears.
*PUSH!*
"Ugh-!" He groaned as another boy, a rather athletic member of the basketball team, pushed him to the floor.
"Hey, shithead! Who do you think you are, opening a girl's locker?! What kinda pervert are you, eh?!" The athlete mocked with disgust, threatening to kick the other boy on the ground.
"L-Look, I said I'm sorry, 'kay?! I didn't know! This used to be my locker-!" The boy tried to justify whilst getting up, however-
*CLANK!*
"Who said you could get up, huh?!" The girl and her pals threatened, kicking the lockers beside the boy.
"But I just… I just wanted to-!"
"Fatass..." The athlete leaned down, clenching a fist and dangling it close to the boy's face, threatening to punch him. "Shut up already-!"
"HEY! Leave him alone!" As the boy struggled pitifully, the laughter and mockery around him peaking, another group of students interrupted.
"Huh?! Piss off! We're just teaching a pervert his…" The athlete turned around to cuss at whosoever was interrupting him, to realize that it was a girl in fact. "Uh…"
"Hey, can you stand? Ned?" The girl stretched a hand to the boy, her classmate Edward Leeds, AKA Ned.
"MJ…" Ned mumbled in surprise as he held the girl's hand... Her name was Michelle Jones, AKA MJ. "What are you doing here? I thought your locker was in the next hall over…?"
"I heard the commotion, thought I'd drop by." Michelle said with seriousness. "Didn't think someone would actually have the balls to physically bully others so openly in public though, especially in Midtown of all places… This school wasn't the best, but it wasn't this bad either."
"Hey! We weren't bullying him!" One of the girls, a cheerleader, argued with disdain. "We were teaching him a lesson!"
"Y-Yeah, that's right!" The athlete tried to respond, shaken from his stupor after laying eyes on MJ. "This guy was snooping around the cheerleaders' lockers! We were just telling him to go away-!"
"We're blippers." A blonde girl in a green sweater claimed, trying to mediate with the violent group; her name was Elizabeth Brant, but her friends called her Betty or BB. "It's not his fault…"
"My friend- this used to be his locker, all of the lockers in this row used to belong to the guys of the academic decathlon team." Cindy Moon, another of the girls that rushed to help him, explained with apprehension.
"I was just… Checking in for my stuff; I didn't think someone was using them…" Ned bashfully admitted, ashamed of needing the defense of three girls.
"Blippers, huh?" The main cheerleader girl said with deprecation. "Fine… Okay, whatevs. I'll let it slide and not tell on you with the teachers. But don't EVER come near me, fatboy."
"…" Ned seemed surprised by the girl's attitude, no humility at all.
*RIIIIIIIING~!*
The bell rang, indicating classes were about to begin, at least for Ned and his classmates.
"C'mon Ned, let's go…" Betty advised with worry.
"Y-Yeah, I'm coming…" Ned turned away from the cheerleaders and the athlete with embarrassment, hurrying to the classroom; AP Biology awaited him.
"…Hehe! Thanks Brad!" The girl switched her demeanor entirely as Ned and co. started to walk away. "You were so cool right now…"
"So sweet!"
"Thanks for helping us!"
"Yeah, it's nothing." The athlete, known as Brad, chuckled with pride. "Just try to avoid such creeps' next time girls; never know 'round them… they could always pull something sketchy, if you know what I mean."
"Ew~!"
"Total 'ick'!"
"Ahahaha!"
"Hehehe!"
The girls laughed heartily as Brad posed as a manly savior to them, dissing the boy he had threatened earlier.
"…" Ned bit his lip in frustration, heading to class silently. What he hated most of that entire situation was that 'Brad' kept saying things whilst wearing a 'thank you Spider-Man' t-shirt. In frustration, the boy whispered… "That doesn't suit you at all, dumbass."
"…" Of the group, only Cindy alone heard his words in silence.
Four months have transpired since the denominated 'Battle for the Universe', as the news described it. One fateful day, during October of 2023, half of Earth's missing population returned from the death. It was nothing short of a miracle, many religious groups announced, the news were in a chaotic uproar after such a tumultuous event… But what took focus, front and center, was the reason for it all: The Avengers.
"EMERGENCY REPORT!"
"Yesterday, October 16th, a- a tumultuous event transpired! The dead, OUR dead came back to life-!"
"As recounted by the United States' Government Census Bureau early analytics, the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs a-and the different State and Worldwide organizations- it is all true, my fellow Americans. The victims of the tragedy now known as 'The Snap' have all… returned to life."
"The Avengers' Compound was decimated during what seems to have been a fierce battle with alien forces! As of now, what footage we have available suggests-!"
"According to our sources, the previous afternoon, an army of unknown origins clashed with the Avengers in the State of New York, in their base of operations no less-!"
"The Avengers fought with all they had and repelled the invader! Not only that, they saved the Universe!"
"We have identified the threat as 'Thanos', the- the monster that was previously responsible for 'The Snap'…"
"It would have been one thing if The Avengers had engaged in another senseless battle, but this wasn't that, man! They brought back Thanos's victims; they beat him for good this time!"
"My wife… She's back! The mother of my children, she's back in my arms!"
"I- I was one of the so called 'snapped'… My heart is only thankful to the Avengers… *Hic* Thank you… Thank you…!"
"I LOVE YOU TONY! WE LOVE YOU!"
"T-H-O-R! T-H-O-R!"
"Captain America - By my authority as President of the United States, I grant you and your Avengers the- *Static* - Bless you - Blessed you always be-"
A chaotic situation, but not necessarily a bad one… That was the state of Earth and many other worlds out there in the cosmos.
The planet was celebrating as families reunited, children returned to their parents' arms, husbands and wives to their spouses' sides, whole countries united in cheer and ceasing hostilities between each other as their loved ones returned en masse.
However, one piece of news stood out to the public like a sore thumb as more information came to light regarding the incident of October 16. Not everything could be rose-tinted after all…
"Spider-Man was a true hero." Steve Rogers, Captain America, leader of the Avengers announced during an emergency press conference on October 20th, before the United Nations' many representatives. Battered as he was, still recovering from his many wounds, Cap still stood tall, imposing, gazing at the camera and the viewer with his heart on his hand, respect and compassion both reflected on his blue eyes as he spoke. "I didn't know him for long… Knew him mostly from the sources we've all seen of him already: Hit-pieces online, defaming articles, hate mobs spreading rumors about him. Albeit shameful I will admit, my perspective of him was askew when I first heard of the boy in 2016; and our first meeting wasn't… ideal either. Staring each other down, in opposite sides of an internal conflict, yet- It was then, right there, as we fought to stop one another that I realized it: This is a kid with spirit, with heart, with the will to do the right thing, even if it means getting hurt doing so."
The flashes of cameras stopped as Steve paused, the room going completely silent as they awaited his next words with bated breaths.
"…He was a boy of genuine courage, as I have only seen on the battlefield alongside my own soldiers. Perhaps of greater character than that, even. I've… talked it over with his family and friends, I've agreed to not reveal the identity behind the mask, as he desired in life. It stood for something after all: Anyone could be behind it; anyone could be the hero you need most in your life… Even you yourself. However, know the following: The Avengers, Earth, the world… We stand today because of that young man's self-sacrifice, because of his strength, because of his love for this world and its people. His name was Spider-Man, a true Avenger… And he was Earth's bravest hero."
To most, this was an emotive speech, moving to tears. The old leader honoring the young hero for his efforts, not letting him go forgotten in the commotion of their victory. The announcement that Spider-Man stood tall for us all, saved us in our moment of need… The consecration of a new legend that would endure time, a reminder that good does prevail on this world.
But to Ned… It destroyed him.
"Subaru…?"
Leeds leaned closer to the screen as Captain America's words repeated inside his head like a broken record.
"I-I'm Natsuki Subaru! Er- I mean! Subaru Natsuki! Li-Like first name is-is Subaru and l-last name is Natsuki…"
He remembered his new 9-year-old neighbor struggling with English when attempting to introduce himself.
"Ah… Uhm... M-My parents… *Hic!* They… They died…"
He remembered how his 9-year-old friend held back tears in an effort to appear strong.
"This is it! When the heroes appear!"
He remembered how his 11-year-old friend made the whole classroom silent when aliens attacked New York.
"We should probably stop staring before it gets creepy though…"
He remembered his 15-year-old friend advice as he realized staring at a crush with their mouths open was not a good idea.
"May CANNOT know! I cannot do that to her right now-! Y'know… W-with everything that's happened to her I- Please…"
He remembered his 15-year-old friend's panic when his identity as a Superhero was unmasked.
"…H-Hey. Ned- Ned! I need you to cause a distraction!"
He remembered the last time he talked with his 17-year-old friend.
Seventeen.
That is no age to die.
It is not fair.
It was not fair.
None of this was fair-
"…KGH!"
Edward Leeds dropped to his knees, his legs weak as it finally hit him. Subaru, his best friend… was dead.
All Ned could recall of the day that interview was emitted were the tears and snot he spilled on his living room's tiles, his face contorted in pain as his buddy was now forever gone…
"…Leeds?" A professor called out to him.
"…" Ned did not respond, still too dazed by it all, staring out of the window into nothing.
"Edward Leeds!" The professor repeated.
"Whu- huh?!" Ned perked up with surprise as someone pronounced his full name, standing up from his seat with a jolt. "Y-Y-Yeash- Up-um-er- I mean, yes?"
"…Answer the question." The professor reiterated.
"…What was the question?" Ned asked incredulously, staring at the board, looking for a clue. All he found were abbreviated chemical formulas, ones he had not seen or studied before, shaking him a bit. Seems he had missed half of his class whilst wandering around in dreamland.
"Pfft…"
"Was he asleep or something?!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"
Half of the class exploded in laughter as Ned made a fool of himself before the other honor students.
"…*Sigh* Just- Sit back down, Leeds. I'll deduct points from your class participation grade for that." The teacher sighed with frustration, visibly disappointed as he turned his head around, looking for someone else to answer.
"…" Ned bit his lip with embarrassment and quickly sat back down, ashamed of the mocking stares of his supposed 'peers'. Five years ago, the school's students weren't nearly as rude; maybe not to him directly, but still.
"The hell… He can't do that, can he? That's not how it worked before." MJ murmured with annoyance, looking back at the boy sitting behind her with pity. "Ugh, don't let that guy run you into the dumps, Ned."
"Y-Yeah, I know…" Ned whispered back without much joy.
"Anyone else…?" The teacher's eyes darted around the students with disappointment; for how 'smart' they liked to call themselves when mocking one of theirs, they sure lacked the spine to answer in his stead, or perhaps the knowledge to do so. He would never voice these thoughts, however- He was a professor, a doctor even, so having such thoughts and sentiments were insulting to his position, to say the least.
"Dr. Connors." MJ raised her arm, eager to answer in Ned's stead.
"Hmm?" The man turned to his left, right next to Ned's seat a black-haired girl stared back at him.
Another 'Blipper'? I hope that she is not as dull as the other guy…
"How about you, Michelle?" The arrogant doctor asked without much care.
"Yes." Michelle stood up to answer. "The reason behind the light emitted by fireflies is that the luciferase enzyme within them catalyzes a reaction between its substrate, D-luciferin, forms oxyluciferin and other such products."
"…Alright." Connors nodded with glad surprise before firing another question. "The theoretic formulae into account, describe a characteristic of the luciferase enzyme that allows it to catalyze a reaction, Cindy."
"Whu-?" Cindy stuttered as the focus of the professor suddenly changed towards her, standing up in a hurry.
"Come on… Don't leave us hanging like Leeds did." A male student near her challenged.
"The… A characteristic of the luciferase enzyme that allows it to catalyze the aforementioned reaction is its specific active site. The enzyme's active site perfectly hold the substrate, lowering the activation energy of the reaction, catalyzing it." Cindy answered immediately, unshaken by the professor's pressure.
"That's… correct." Connors seemed a bit shook by the quick and perfect response, so he attempted a curveball. "But then, what's the- the dependent variable of the experimental formulae? Michelle."
"…The amount of light emitted within the first three seconds of the reaction." Once more, MJ did not fail, surprising her peers now.
"Hmph, she's probably looking at her phone or somethin'…"
"I knew that one."
"It's simple, give her something more complicated!"
"Right… Cindy, state the null hypothesis for the experiment?" Connors continued, provoked by the mockery of the students.
"The null hypothesis is that temperature has no impact on the amount of light emitted by the reaction." Cindy concisely responded accurately, once more angering her obnoxious peers.
"Sir! Doctor Connors!" A brown-haired a fair-skinned boy with green eyes, his name Mark Raxton, raised his voice in protest against Cindy and MJ's continuous answers. "These are all questions you can find a click away on Google! Give them proper questions!"
"…If you wanted to answer for extra points, you would have raised your hand before, Mark." Connors interrupted his arrogant tirade.
"H-How do you know she's not cheating, huh?!" Mark pressed on, disregarding his professor's words. "They've not been to class in five years, and their hands are under the table. They could be looking at their phones-!"
"Moon? Jones?" Connors turned to Cindy and MJ with a tired face.
"No phone, sir." MJ raised her hands, a smug look fixated on her face. Soon after, Cindy followed and did the same.
"No phone, Mark. Now please, sit dow-" Curt tried to diffuse the situation, but it would not be so easy it seems.
"As temperature increases, there will be an increase in the amount of light given off by the reaction within the first three seconds." Mark turned to Cindy and MJ with disdain. "If you negate the hypothesis that means you have to support the other extreme, that temperature DOES affect the bioluminescence of fireflies. How do you support that, huh Moon?"
"That's enough Mark, that's not material we have covered yet-" Connors tried to interrupt, but Cindy answered first.
"It's fine sir." Cindy didn't care, simply responding again with total assurance of her knowledge. "An increase in temperature increases the kinetic energy of the reactant molecules, which means, they will collide more often and D-luciferin will enter the active site of luciferase more often."
"Thus, the reaction speed will increase, producing more products in the first 3 seconds. Since light is a product, more luminescence will be given off at higher temperatures." MJ finished with a grin, looking down on the obnoxious boy.
"That's right… You can sit back down, Moon, Jones." Connors finally told the girls to sit down, accepting their answers, and baffling the overconfident Mark in the process.
"Wha- How did you-? That's…" Mark, red with embarrassment, sat back down, ashamed.
*RIIIIIIING!*
"…Guess that's the end for today, class. Remember to turn in your essay assignments by the end of the week; you have until Friday to write a comprehensive five-thousand-word paper on a reptile of your choosing. I know it sounds dull, but these are FASCINATING creatures if given the chance-"
*Dash!*
"No running in the halls, Raxton!" Connors shouted as Mark left the classroom, running away the moment the bell rang. "Ugh, forget it. I'm not paid enough to care in school for that guy…"
"…" Ned stood up, leaving the classroom after Mark, earlier than most of the other students.
"Hey Ned? Hold up-" MJ tried to stop him, but he ignored her, walking away in silence, rather miffed by the entire situation. "Crap… Was that too much? I just wanted the teacher and the others to shut up."
"He'll be fine… He's just not that 'well' right now." Betty advised with understanding, she and Cindy standing up, ready to leave.
"I suppose everyone takes the 'Blip' at their own pace. My mom? She's still a mess, even now. Won't stop panicking unless I text her every twenty minutes. Which reminds me- Hold on a sec." Cindy commented as she sent a text, the group of three rapidly walking out of the classroom. "…What was up with those guys anyway? Prof Connors and Mark, I mean; they seemed awfully against us."
"Dunno, it creeped me out too." MJ admitted with annoyance.
"Professor Connors used to teach at CCNY, but he got fired for some 'unethical' experiment or something shortly after the Snap. Honestly, details about what really went down are fussy at best, but it seems that is how he lost his right arm… What I DO know is that he came to Midtown on his knees after his wife and child left him, begging for a job." Betty informed with suspicion. "No real reason why he'd have it against 'Blippers' though…"
"Sucks to be him, but that has nothing to do with us." MJ blatantly said, rather belligerent after the attitude he gave his new students. "What about the other guy- have something on that BB?"
"Mark Raxton, the shorty? Apparently, he was the know-it-all and the Captain of the decathlon team before the Blip, but his team never won the nationals, barely made it through the state competition even." The would-be reporter murmured again to her friends. "So now that the Twice National Champions returned, he's been picking a fight with everyone in the previous team that blipped. Talk about nerd pride."
"Psh, how petty, it was just a few questions in class." Cindy shook her head with disapproval.
"Fragile ego if you ask me. Half of the decathlon team last year quit because he kept getting into arguments with them. And then, his other teammates barely contributed, because they'd rather lose than give him the reason." Brant explained quickly.
"…Why does nobody tell him off then? If he has no friends and acts like a spaz 24/7." MJ seemed increasingly confused by Mark's situation the more Betty talked. "I swear, this guy HAS got to be worse than Flash, and I've only just met him!"
"His family is filthy rich from his dad's mining business down in Texas… So the likes of Dr. Connors of biology and Dr. Smythe, the new head of physics and technology, never open their mouths." Betty added to the gossip again, her knowledge of the student body after just returning from the dead was staggering. "I heard another rumor that… His dad actually finances their researches outside school and as such, they just look the other way whenever he acts up. And that's the case for a few other teachers and staff at the school, too."
"For the love of- When did Midtown become such a cesspool?! The school wasn't perfect before, but teachers getting paid under the table?! The hell?!" Cindy snapped, irritated by the state of the school's personnel and morals.
"Hey, it's just a rumor… For all I know, it could be hot air, at best." Betty said as a disclaimer for her words, trying not to attract Cindy's ire. "That Mark guy's still a dumbass though, being way too happy with doing whatever like that in class with no reprimand."
"Sounds like a serious case of never being told 'no'… Guess I'm joining the decathlon again this year; looking forward to knocking his attitude down a peg or two." MJ commented arrogantly. "I never finished my term as Captain, so I'll retake my spot."
"Are you sure? You'll be balancing college exams with decathlon and your part-time job on top of that…" Cindy wondered with worry for MJ, it was stressful to tackle so many things at once.
"Eh, it's just normal stuff anyways." MJ laughed, although she seemed somber as she spoke her next words. "Subaru had better grades than me and the Stark internship, and he was tackling it all on top of crime-fighting-"
"What are you talking about?" Betty seemed perplexed as she heard Michelle's last statement, not understanding her words. "Subaru… As in Natsuki? Rumor says he went missing, no one's seen him since the 'Snap', but from what I've overheard, he didn't appear on the bus during the Blip ei-"
"Oh shoot-! Uh- Forget- forget I said anything, please-" MJ hurriedly walked away as she realized what she had just said, the confused faces of Betty and Cindy hitting her like a truck. "I got- I gotta go! My next class is in the other building-! Bye…!"
"Ah, wait! Wait, MJ! God, she's such a-! What did she mean by that, anyways? You know something, Cindy?" Brant turned to look at her friend with vexation, but Cindy simply shook her head in silence.
*RIIIIIIIIING~!*
"Ugh, guess I'll have to fish it out of her later…" Betty looked frustrated, left curious by MJ's words. "Let's go, Cindy. Physics is this way, in the new building."
"Y-Yeah… Let's go." Cindy just nodded along, off put by everything, especially the bit about Subaru. Seems like Ned wasn't the only one on edge today. "…"
A few hours later, behind the school's old building, as classes ended for that day…
*THOCK!*
"Ungh-!" Ned cried in pain; he was harshly pushed against the brick wall of the school's old building, surrounded by taller teens he knew nothing about. "What the hell-?! Hey, what gives?!"
*SMACK!*
"UNFRG- GUGH-! *BARF!*" Ned buckled over in hurt and puked as a solid punch hit him on the liver.
"Sheesh, fat boy… Couldn't you just hold it in? It was a love tap at best!" Brad and his friends laughed with humor, amused by the entire situation.
"Hmph." Behind them, Mark looked on with indifference, his arms crossed as he observed Ned suffer. Seems Brad and the basketball team were his personal guard, under his pay so to say.
"*Cough-Cough!* Wh-What was- urnf… What was that for…?!" Ned struggled to breath, holding his midsection in pain.
"So that you don't get out of line, shithead." Mark explained, taking a step forward. "You and the other former decathlon members- the hell's up with you, huh?"
"Huh…?" Ned looked confused by his question.
"You KNOW being member of the decathlon with a national victory under your belt is huge. You already had that victory in 2016, and even then, ANOTHER in 2017! So what use is there in acting so high and mighty, eh?!" Mark demanded, balling his hand into a fist and swinging.
*TACKK!*
"GAGH!" Ned groaned as Mark punched him in the nose, making it bleed profusely.
"You have that in your card already, so stop trying to show off. Another win would be overkill in your college application." Raxton took a handkerchief out of his jacket's pocket and proceeded to clean his bloody fist before talking to Ned again. "Tell those girls to stay out of my business; do not even CONSIDER rejoining the Decathlon Team. It's my time now, not theirs."
"That's—That's what this is?!" Ned mumbled with surprise. "You don't wanna get outshined because your team has had no wins?! You don't want MJ to replace you as Captain?!"
"…Tsk." Mark looked at Ned with disgust before turning to Brad and his group. "Did you know? Since the Snap, many schools around the area closed down due to the lack of students and funding. Midtown barely managed to survive that purge."
"H-Huh…" Ned simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Then, in 2019, Midtown received funding from various sponsors, including the government, to start accepting students from all over town, even all over the City—It's nuts, right? Therefore, the humanities curriculum expanded into the 'regular' curriculum, and Midtown lost lo~ts of its Excellency. Although it was once more filled to the brim with students, acquiring buildings from the neighboring blocks in order to expand, many of the students they accepted were of… Dubious origins at best. You'll now find kids here that have to commute from the Bronx or Hell's Kitchen, its nuts. But it suits me, to tell the truth…"
"What Mark here is sayin' fat boy, is that a good chunk of the students around are so wild the professors themselves cannot contain them! And that goes for us as well!" Brad laughed as he raised his fist.
*PUNCH!*
"GYAGH-!" Ned cried as Brad punched him in the face, bringing him to his knees once more, staining his jeans in vomit, blood and dirt.
"YEAH!"
"YURR!"
"HAHA!"
"PFFT!"
"Hehe!" Brad chuckled as Ned struggled on the ground, the boys around them laughing at Ned's expense. "I don't really care who I have to beat up, so long as I'm getting paid well, and Mark rolls in that cash to whomever listens to him. Don't take it personal, fat boy… You know, just business. I'm looking to buy a new pair of shoes for the upcoming match, and I don't have time for a part time jig. Be a good punch bag, 'kay?"
"Ha… Ha…" Ned panted, slowly getting up, putting a hand against the wall for support.
"Oh? Ready again?" Mark raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Brad, you know what to do."
"Yeah, yeah…" Brad smiled, getting ready to throw another punch when-
"Ha… Haha… Ehehaha…" Ned started laughing. "Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
"…What's so funny?" Confused, Brad asked with displeasure.
"Hahahahahaha-!" Ned ignored him, laughing even more until Brad grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
*GRAB!*
*SMACK!*
"GUgh-! GUhahahahaha!" Despite receiving another punch on the cheek, Ned ignored the pain and laughed again.
"Hey! What's so funny?!" Mark asked now, both him and the basketball team creeped out by Ned's behavioral shift.
"It's just- Hahaha- just…" Ned chuckled again before being able to explain. "You said… That Midtown's student population is wild and uncontrollable now… But… You, Brad… You been attending Midtown since middle school! I still remember that wannabe basketball star that'd run into the High School building bleeding from the nose, screaming for his mom!"
"…Huh?" Brad looked infuriated at those words.
"And you all… All of you… If you are so rude, so brave that you don't care about the teachers… Why would you take me to the ONE zone in the school without cameras?" Ned said with a smug look despite the blood and vomit around his mouth. "Even if Midtown's students have gotten worse and more aggressive, you lot are still scared of the adults, aren't you?!"
"That's…" Mark bit his lip in frustration, trying to think of a comeback. "That's none of your business…!"
"You gotta beat people up behind the school SO that you don't face any consequences! Hey Brad! Without girls to take your side out here, any accusation could destroy your placement on the basketball team, right?! That goes for all of you too, huh?!" Leeds spoke tauntingly, tiring the athlete threatening him.
*THWACK!*
"Kukh- HAHAHAHA!" Ned exploded in laughter again, mocking the cowardly attitude of his bullies. "YOU ARE A FUCKING COWARD DAVIS, BEATING PEOPLE FOR MONEY! YOU ARE THE KINDA LOSER SPIDER-MAN WOULD TRASH IN A HEARTBEAT!"
"SHUT UP!"
"That shirt… You have no business wearing that shirt if you don't get that-!"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Brad demanded, ready to throw another punch, and just as he swung-
*CRACCCK!*
"OWWWW?!" Brad cried in pain and knelt as something struck his hand. He let go of Ned and began looking at the ground, it seemed as though the pieces of a flowerpot scattered around him on the dirt and plants.
"H-Huh…?!" Ned saw what happened, unlike the rest of the group. The moment Brad threw his punch, a flowerpot fell, no, was THROWN at his fist before it could connect with Ned's face. As the boy looked upward, three stories above him, he saw her… Cindy Moon, staring back at him like a deer caught in the headlights. "…"
What scary accuracy… Hell of a hand-eye coordination.Ned thought, thinking that Cindy must be some sort of genius thrower to hit Brad's hand from such a distance and so quickly. As he stared at her, the girl hastily hid back out of sight, disappearing from the window altogether.
"YO- HIS FIST!"
"Holy shit, Brad!"
"H-Huh…? OH SHIT-!" Brad reacted to the pain at last, realizing that his fingers were broken and bent in unusual directions. His right hand shattered from the impact of the flowerpot, which fell from three stories above. "M-M-MY HAAAAAAND-!"
*DASH!*
"OWOWOWOW- ACK!" Brad cried, tears on his eyes and snot dangling from his nose as he ran away.
"Yo, Brad! Wait up man!" The basketball team followed him, worried for their friend.
"Wh- Hey! Hold on a second, we are not done here! What even was that?!" Mark demanded as everyone left him behind. He stared up, looking for the precedence of the flowerpot, or a culprit for pushing it, yet he found nothing but the blue sky looking back at him.
"My lucky break, huh?" Ned mumbled whilst standing up, slowly closing the distance between him and Mark with a slow walk.
"Hey? HEY-HEY! Wait, hold on-!" Mark trembled in fear as he found himself mere inches away from Ned's scowl. "Hold it, hold it! D-Don't punch me-!"
*PUSH!*
"Urk-!" Mark mumbled as he fell, Ned Leeds had pushed him onto the ground… Directly on top of the pile of blood, vomit and dirt he had been lying on moments prior.
"So? Anything else, Mark?" Ned asked "An apology, an 'I'm sorry'? Anything?" Ned demanded with disgust as he stood over the pathetic display.
"Ah… Ah…" Mark's legs trembled as he admired how big Ned was in comparison to him at last. Ned was barely 5'5", but Mark stood only at 4'11".
"The… Did you just pee yourself?!" Ned pointed out in shock as a pool of dubious color formed under Mark, wetting the plants and earth around them and diluting the vomit into a gooey slop, staining his pants even further.
"Agh, what the… SHIT! Goddamit, th-th-this isn't over Leeds!" Mark clenched his teeth as he stood up, turning around and running away in anger and frustration both, heading the opposite direction as the basketball team. "THIS ISN'T OVER!"
*DASH!*
"…Ptoo!" As he observed Mark run with the tail between his legs, Ned spat a tooth as his mouth filled with the salty taste of blood. "Man, this sucks."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
HEYYY!
Sorry it took longer than expected, but here it is! First chapter to the first Side Story!
In the end, I've decided to publish it in the same fic as the Main Story, although that could change depending on what other Side Stories I decide to write and how long they could be.
They'll be shorter than the main story chapters, but look forward to them nonetheless! Currently writing the next few chapters, they will be out soon!
Bye~!
